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FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. — Would you rather skinny dip at the North Pole than brave the crowds at the mall this holiday shopping season?

Blow off Black Friday and stroll on over to Small Business Saturday at a downtown near you.

Several Fairfield County chambers of commerce and merchant organizations are rolling out the red carpet — and touting deals on decidedly different gifts —at unique shops and mom and pops all around the area Nov. 25.

A certain jolly old elf will be arriving in downtown
Fairfield
just in time to scoop up deals along the Post Road. The big man will settle in to hear children’s wishes at Sherman Green, the center of the shopping district, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be horse and wagon rides and a petting zoo, too.

In
Bridgeport
, shoppers can head to a welcome station at the Arcade Mall, 1001 Main Street, where they’ll get a map of participating businesses, free goodies and a passport to have stamped at shops. Show up between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and you’ll get a raffle ticket for prizes, such as tickets to Disney on Ice or Oral B electronic toothbrushes. Come back with your stamped passport and you’ll get a second free raffle ticket. And downtown parking is free Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

You won’t have a hard time shopping small in
Darien
— 98 percent of shops and restaurants are locally owned. Visit the
Darien Chamber of Commerce website
for a list of participating businesses.

The
Norwalk
Parking Authority will support Shop Small Saturday by providing free two-hour on-street parking from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Stop by the
Bethel
Chamber of Commerce between 10 and 11 a.m. to pick up bags, gifts, offer and treats before heading out to the town’s many shops. Take a photo of you with someone from each town location and post them to social media, tagging
Bethel Chamber of Commerce
. Shoppers with the most posts — and the most original posts — will receive prizes.